Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-12-27
A STORY OF THE WAR.
How O'Neil Avenged His Brothers Death
After Ten Years,

J. AFTER Zen Years.
| Away back in the fifties, when Yale
men were still engaged in their rows with
the fire laddies, and not on the best of
terms with any of the New Haven popu-
lation, occurred that memorable riot, not
the only one in the annals of Yale.
that ended in the killing of the leaders of
the mob by the students. The story is
short, of absorbing interest, and has often
( been told, but it had sequel, not gener-
ally known, and as dramatic as the
romances of recent fiction.
During March, 1854, a pretty Irish
| actress Mrs. Harry Grattan Plunkett) had
been winning the hearts of the students at
| the old theater that was standing on the
| corner of Chapel and Church streets.
One night, when quite a crowd of Seniors
were occupying the front rows an Irish
| jig dancer had been repeatedly encored by
a jealous claque of his countrymen in the
back seats. The students, anxious for the
play to proceed, and for the temperance
of their goddess, vented their impotence
with Kisses. Instantly there was bad
blood between town and gown. The
crowd in the rear became insolent, and
when at last the performance was over,
warned the students never to enter the
place again.
Next evening, however, fifty or sixty
students assembled at the theater and sat
the performance through. Towards the
end of the evening an alarm of fire was
rung, and presently the Chief of Police
came in to inform the students that they
would have to fight their way back to the
collage through the threatening crowd
that had gathered. The crisis had come.
The townies had formed solid column of
twos, with locked arms, and filled up the
west side of Chapel street, having on the
left the protection of the houses, and on
the right the hooting multitude. Sud-
denly, despite the efforts of the police,
shower of stones and bricks descended upon
the marching body of students. Steadily
they kept on, carrying their wounded and
deiantly singing college song.
Next to the end of the column figured
Jim Haines, of Tennessee, with Harry
Rowland on his left. The rear guard was
Jack Sims, of Mississippi, and these two
men Of the South, Seniors both, had fight
after fight with one and another of the
mob, whose leader was the powerful O'Nei,
the cause of the trouble the night before.
Improving the opportunity when Sims was
engaged with same one else, O'Neil Crap
pied with him, clutched his throat with
one brawny hand, and struck him on the
head with brick in the other. In the
struggle that followed the Mississippian
cried out that he would kill his assailant
if he were not released. O'Neips reply
was tightening of the grip upon his
throat and Sims knew that he was being
choked to death in that CHASTITY encounter.
Left behind by the rest Of the column,
unable to call out, surrounded by the
enemy, and feeling that his life would
soon be gone, what could Sims do? Quick
as flash he drew long dagger and
stabbed ONeil to the heart. The Irish
man fell dead. Staggered by the loss of
their leader, the mob retired from the at
tack and the students were safe upon the
campus. That night the rioters ragged
increasingly, demanding a victim for ven
geance, and it was only by the use of the
greatest prudence then and for succeeding
days that the authorities and students
prevented a renewal of hostilities.
But the Mississipian, what of him? He
had escaped on the moment, but in the
struggle he had lost his hat, in which his
name was written. As soon as possible
afterward he left college and returned to
the South. Every one had justified what
he had done 1t was shown to be clear
case Of self-defense, and it was said that
the Faculty gave him his degree when his
class graduated.
Seven years afterward the war between
the States began, and North and South
confronted one another in arms. General
Raines was killed in the battle of Muir
freesboro, commanding Tennessee bril-
gade; Major Sims, the hero of the college
affray, in a famous Mississippi regiment,
which had enrolled a number of Yale
graduates, fought unhurU through all the
campaigns Of the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia, until at the end of 1864, when dark
ness had stopped the last battle between
Sheridan and Early, he stood with his
comrades beside campfire discussing the
incidents Of the day. Presently one of
them recalled an adventure of their Youth
ful days, and something elected from the
Major recital of his own part in that
riot at Yale in 1854.
A New Haven townv, a member of a
Federal battery, beside his gun, a quarter
of a mile away, was ordered to try his aim
at that campfire, and as a chance would
have it, the first attempt dropped a round
shot there with such precision as to take
Jack Sims head from his shoulders IS
clean as though it had been cut off by a
guiilotine. Strange as it may seem, he
man who aimed the fatal shot was the
brother of the man Jack killed in the col
iege row ten years before. Thus. without
i knowing it. was O'NeiPs death avenged.
The romantic part of the story cane to